Journal of surgical oncology
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Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare malignancy with several distinctive features that distinguish its management from other thyroid cancers. First, MTC may be sporadic (75% of cases), or may occur as a manifestation of the hereditary syndrome Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 2 (MEN 2) (25% of cases). ⋯ MTC cells do not concentrate radioactive iodine, and MTC does not respond well to external beam radiation or conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy. These distinguishing features should be considered in planning surgical management of MTC.